During the day, various contaminants, dust, and irritants enter the human respiratory tract. To get rid of them, the bronchi begin to secrete sputum, which is excreted during sleep. It is normal for a person to cough several times during the night. This does not indicate the presence of pathology. By this method, the bronchi and lungs are cleared of the accumulated daily pollution. But it happens that a night cough interferes with sleep. A person is tormented by bouts of severe coughing - this is a pathology.
Cough classification
There are several varieties of night cough. According to the type of manifestations, it can be:
- silent - this type is accompanied by paralysis of the vocal cords;
- barking - occurs with swelling of the vocal cords, accompanied by a hoarse voice;
- deaf - can talk about emphysema, bronchitis;
- cough that occurs in the morning - most often occurs with pathology in the nasopharynx;
- moist with sputum - manifests itself with inflammation in the lungs;
- dry - occurs when the mucous membrane is irritated.
If a cough occursevery night and lasts at least two weeks, then this indicates the presence of inflammation. A cough that persists for more than two months indicates a chronic illness.
To understand how to stop a cough, you should identify its cause. There are different reasons for different types of reflex.
Dry cough and what causes it
There are many causes of night cough: they are divided into infectious and non-infectious. In the latter case, the reflex is caused by stimuli, upon elimination of which the seizures disappear. With an infectious cough, in order to calm it, it is necessary to act on the microorganisms that cause the disease.
When large dust particles enter the respiratory tract at night, airway clearance occurs. This phenomenon is observed when windows are open at night, during repair work. Eliminate irritants for a nocturnal cough.
Also, dry cough can occur with strong odors, such as the smell of smoke, when inhaling chemicals that serve as an irritant. Dry air has a negative effect on the state of the respiratory system: it can cause bouts of dry cough at night.
If the cough is caused by the above reasons, then if they are excluded, it will pass. In other cases, a cough may indicate a serious pathology.
Pathologies with dry cough
A night cough in an adult without sputum may indicate the following ailments:
- Heart diseasevascular system.
- Reflex disease. With it, the contents of the stomach enter the esophagus, irritating the receptors that cause a nocturnal cough in an adult.
- Lung tumors.
- Whooping cough.
- Pathologies of the vocal cords.
- Collagenosis, tuberculosis.
- Bronchitis.
- Asthma.
Wet cough
Severe nocturnal coughing spells with phlegm may occur during sleep. This may indicate the following diseases:
- Asthma, bronchitis, tracheitis. With these diseases, sputum is stringy.
- Foul-smelling sputum may indicate a lung abscess.
- Yellow purulent sputum occurs with pneumonia.
- Orange sputum may indicate pleurisy.
- Blood impurities indicate oncology, tuberculosis.
- Cough with sputum of a different nature occurs with sinusitis, whooping cough.
Only a doctor can determine exactly what caused the cough.
Cough emergency
To cope with any type of cough, you need to drink plenty of fluids. If you feel that an attack is beginning, then you should drink a glass of water in small sips, milk with honey, warm tea, in which it is best to add honey.
Don't lie down as this will aggravate the attack. During an attack, you should sit down, but you do not need to sleep in this position. The bed should be placed so that the chest is raised.
To avoid coughing during sleep, you should do steam inhalation before going to bed. Forit can be breathed over the steam of hot water. In case of a fit of coughing in children, they can be taken to the bathroom and, turning on hot water, breathe over the vapors: the fit will pass, the child will calm down.
A positive effect is shown by inhalations with mineral water, oils, chamomile. You can breathe over potatoes. All this will help to cope with the cough.
Cough drops are used to eliminate coughs. They have a distracting effect, provoke profuse salivation, softening the larynx.
Humidification of the air gives a good effect. Adults may cough at night due to dry air. The lack of moisture negatively affects the condition of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. To cope with this, you can use a humidifier, hang wet towels on radiators, and place containers in the corners of rooms. Evaporation of water will help maintain optimal moisture, preventing coughing.
If the cough is caused by an allergic reaction, then the allergen should be removed. It can be a pet, plant, bedding, household chemicals, perfume and more.
Treating coughing fits with medicines
At the moment of an attack, the only thing that worries every person is how to stop the cough. To combat dry and wet types, the doctor may prescribe different types of drugs, including:
- "Gerbion". Combines antibacterial, antitussive and expectorant action. Due to these properties, the drug can be used for various diseases.
- "Sinekod". antitussive drug,reducing the severity of cough, but not able to cure diseases. The remedy is used as a symptomatic treatment of cough.
- "Stoptusin". This is a mucolytic drug that can be prescribed even to children from a year old. The drug gently affects the body, reducing inflammation of the bronchi and freeing the airways.
- "Codelac Phyto". A drug developed from codeine that has an antitussive effect.
- Broncholithin.
- "Linkas". Plant-derived mucolytic to help thin mucus and reduce inflammation.
- "Libeksin". Antitussive.
For irritation of the larynx caused by inflammatory processes or psychogenic factors, use antitussive drugs that do not contain codeine. They have a positive effect on the respiratory center, eliminating the symptom. These funds include "Omnitus", "Stoptussin", "Libeksin". Do not take an antitussive without the advice of a doctor, as this can lead to respiratory arrest.
If the cough is caused by bronchitis, pneumonia or inflammation of the trachea, the doctor prescribes thinning drugs. These include ACC, Bromhexine, Ambroxol and other drugs. They do not eliminate the symptom, but make the cough productive. When taking these medicines, sputum separation improves, coughing attacks are relieved.
In some cases, bronchodilators such as Berodual, Erespal, Pulmicort, etc. are used to eliminate night cough. These medicines relieve spasm, expand the lumen of the bronchi. They speed up recovery.
Preparations for inhalation are used in first aid, but only as prescribed by a doctor. Sometimes the doctor prescribes the glucocortisoid Pulmicort.
Carefully use herbal preparations: "Doctor Mom", "Vicks", "Active", "Pertussin", "Gerbion", "Linkas". These drugs have antitussive, expectorant, anti-inflammatory effects.
According to the indications for the treatment of night cough, the doctor selects other drugs: antibiotics, antifungal drugs, immunomodulators, antivirals.
Folk remedies
To relieve a strong nocturnal cough, you can apply folk methods. The most common remedy is milk with honey and butter. After drinking a glass of the mixture, you should not get out of bed.
Good results are shown by a heating pad made from honey, flour and water. She is fixed for the whole night.
An hour before bedtime, you can drink a glass of red wine. It relaxes, has an antiseptic effect, helps to fall asleep.
To reduce the irritating effect, you can treat your throat with an alkaline or saline solution before going to bed.
Good cough syrup made from glycerin, honey and lemon juice. All ingredients are mixed. The composition is taken every four hours.
Other methods
Helps to cope with cough decoction of chamomile and coltsfoot. These herbs relieve swelling of the respiratory tract, dilute phlegm.
Aloe has been used since ancient times. The leaf of the plant is placed on severalhours in the refrigerator, then juice is squeezed out of it. A few drops of juice are mixed with sugar. The composition is taken at bedtime.
To relieve a painful cough, you can chew a golden mustache leaf for a couple of minutes.
An infusion of pine cones has a positive effect.
Prevention methods
It is much easier not to treat the disease, but to engage in prevention. This helps to avoid pathologies in the future.
To prevent the disease from recurring, you should begin to harden. Sport has a positive effect. Exercises can be done at home, or you can join the gym. To stay he althy, it is important to review the diet. Do not abuse bad habits, only natural, he althy dishes are introduced into your diet.
If you have a cough, especially at night, you should see a doctor in the morning. Only a doctor can determine the cause of the pathology, as well as prescribe the correct treatment.
